Charles Becker

Charles “Chip” Becker is among Pennsylvania's preeminent appellate lawyers and a partner at Kline & Specter, PC, where he has primary responsibility for the firm’s robust post-trial and appellate practice and works with the firm's lawyers on all aspects of their cases, including case selection, drafting of complaints, venue and jurisdiction analysis, dispositive motions, discovery motions, in limine motions, trial practice and settlement.  He also works with firm lawyers on numerous issues as they arise in the firm’s cases, including case and claim selection, venue and dispositive motions, in limine motions, trial strategy, and settlement.

He has presented written or oral argument in all of Pennsylvania's appellate courts, the New Jersey and Delaware appellate courts, and multiple federal circuit courts, Including the U.S. Supreme Court.

In recognition of these efforts, Becker has been selected by Super Lawyers as among the best attorneys in Pennsylvania from 2011-2024 and as among the the Top 100 attorneys in Pennsylvania from 2019-2024. He has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America and by Chambers and Partners for excellence in appellate practice.

In addition to his appellate practice, Becker serves as a judge on the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline by appointment of former Gov. Tom Wolf. He co-chairs the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's Historical Commission and serves on the court's Commission on Judicial Independence. He previously served on the court's Appellate Courts Procedural Rules Committee and its Tricentennial Commission.

He is an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law, where he teaches state constitutional law and previously taught appellate practice.

Becker lectures frequently at continuing legal education programs and has written both on Pennsylvania appellate practice and the history of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He is a fellow of the invitation-only America Academy of Appellate Lawyers, past president of the Third Circuit Bar Association, and a member of the American Law Institute. A graduate of Williams College and Yale Law School, Becker served as a law clerk for Judge Sandra Lynch of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

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News Featuring Charles Becker:

• Mitsubishi's Trial Loss Over Defective Seat Belt Upped To $1B, Law360, 5/1/24
• As Stakes Escalate, Kline & Specter Begin Steppin Phila.’s Largest Verdicts Post-Trial, The Legal Intelligencer, 1/31/2024
• Challenge to State Damages Cap Lands Back in Commonwealth Court After High Court Denies Immediate Review, The Legal Intelligencer, 8/2/22
• Pa. Supreme Court Has Low Output So Far This Year, But Observers Say That's Not the Whole Story, The Legal Intelligencer, 6/22/22
• Becker comments on legal contingencies should Lt. Gov. John Fetterman have to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race. ABC27, 6/6/22   
• Court Upholds $4.5M Child Abuse Jury Verdict Against Phila. Public Defenders, The Legal Intelligencer, 12/17/20
• Becker quoted on jurisdiction ruling in $12.85M Pelvic Mesh Case, The Legal Intelligencer, 10/21/20 
• By pushing to impeach a state Supreme Court justice for his opinions, Pa. lawmakers undermine democracy | Opinion by Charles Becker, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/13/20
• Waiver Issue Sinks Dispute Over Whether Pa.'s Business Registration Law Establishes Jurisdiction, The Legal Intelligencer, 6/26/20
• Court backs new trial after mesh defense verdict, legal Intelligencer, 4/17/20
• Becker Argues Risperdal Statute Issue Before PA Supreme Court, PCN, 5/16/19
• Report must be released, Becker quoted in priest sex abuse grand jury report, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 7/10/18
• Becker Interviewed On Supreme Court Judge Nominations, CBS 3, 7/9/18
• Pa. Court Won't Junk Risperdal Verdict Against J&J Unit, Law360, 2/20/18
• Superior Court Upholds Reduction of $26.6M Verdict in Knee Injury Case, The Legal Intelligencer, 12/18/17
• Chip Becker Comments On Seth Williams Trial, CBS 3 6/18/17
• Chip Becker Comments On Bill Cosby's Sexual Assault Trial, CBS 3, 6/5/17
• Judge Rejects Bid to Overturn $5M Sex Abuse Verdict, The Legal Intelligencer, 3/30/17
• Becker comments on possible U.S. Supreme Court nominees, CBS 3, 1/30/2017
• NCAA Brought Back Into Suit Over Student's Death, The Legal Intelligencer, 5/4/16
• Becker comments on NFL settlement, The Legal Intelligencer, 3/18/16
• Becker interviewed on gun control issue, CBS 3, 1/5/15
• Pennsylvania Ban on Trade Name Use Felled; Remainder of Funeral Industry Law Stands, Becker comments, U.S. Law Week 2/25/14
• Eye on the Bench, First Circuit’s Chief Judge Sandra Lynch, Becker comments, U.S. Law Week 2/25/14
• Pa. Supreme Court refuses to hear Blumer appeal, verdict stands, The Legal Intelligencer 8/14/12
• Government drops appeal in $17.5M Ellison verdict, The Legal Intelligencer 7/23/12
• Appeal of Judge's Decision on Recusal Must Wait for Outstanding Motions, The Legal Intelligencer 6/28/12
• Becker comments on venue decision Appeal , The Patriot-News, 5/16/12
• Becker files amicus brief in Genuardi case, The Legal Intelligencer 4/12/12
• PA Superior Court panel upholds $8.75M Blumer verdict, PA Law Weekly 5/16/11
• Becker comments on GSK ruling, The Legal Intelligencer, 3/28/11
• Kline, Becker win wrongful firing appeal, The Legal Intelligencer 12/30/10
• Becker interviewed on rare King's Bench petition ruling, The Legal Intelligencer 12/16/10
• Firm wins important decision on expert witnesses, The Legal Intelligencer 11/22/10
• Judge cuts Medicaid lien in Mckinney appeal argued by Becker, The Legal Intelligencer 8/26/10
• Becker wins drug lawsuit venue appeal, Legal Intelligencer, 3/22/10
• Becker comments on the Haun v. Phoenixville Hospital case, The Legal Intelligencer 11/30/09
• Specter, Becker, author article on products liability law, The Legal Intelligencer 11/16/09
• Charles Becker interviewed on product liability doctrine, Pennsylvania Law Weekly, 9/21/09
• Specter, Becker author op-ed: The Exxon Decision: Another Bad Call on Punitive Damages, The Legal Intelligencer 11/18/2008; A Response and Rebuttal, PA Justice News 1/09
• Specter, Becker obtain key ruling protecting children's medical expenses, The Legal Intelligencer 11/7/08
• Pre-Emption Issue Weighed in Label Cases, The Legal Intelligencer 12/13/07
• U.S. Supreme Court refuses to hear appeal, case concluded, The Legal Intelligencer 11/28/2007
• Kline & Specter Starts Appellate Practice With Addition of Becker, The legal Intelligencer 5/16/2007
• Pittsburgh Judge Applies 1925(b) Waiver in Pro Se Litigant's Appeal, The Legal Intelligencer 5/9/2007
• Opinion Could Bring More 1925(b) Confusion, The Legal Intelligencer 4/4/2007
• Big Verdicts, Big Vacancies Top Phila. Courts' Stories in '06, The Legal Intelligencer 12/21/2006
• Key 1925(b) Appeal To Go Before High Court, The Legal Intelligencer 10/30/2006
• Judges Reject 1925(b) Argument, The Legal Intelligencer 8/30/2006
• 2006 Lawyers on the Fast Track, The Legal Intelligencer 8/28/2006